Trade rumors can be a nasty business.
The uncertainty they bring is just absurd, and no one has faced more uncertainty than Pau Gasol since 2011. The Los Angeles Lakers have dangled him every which way possible, forcing him to spend most of his days in limbo, waiting for word that his tenure in purple and gold is over.
One suspects the ambiguity of being linked to trades becomes easier to cope with in time. Seasoned veterans like Gasol should be used to this by now. That is, if it’s even anything you can become accustomed to—which it’s not.
Speculation hasn’t stopped churning this season, when Gasol was considered safe as ever. No Dwight Howard, an injured Kobe Bryant and an expiring contract? Los Angeles needed him. But, you know, here we go again.
Talks with the Cleveland Cavaliers have died. The Chicago Bulls sent Luol Deng to Cleveland , eliminating any possibility of a potential deal with the Cavs. That’s a good thing for Gasol, who has indicated he doesn’t want to go anywhere time and time again. But it may only be a stopgap.
Rumors will never stop swirling, especially in Lakerland and especially now. The team is in a precarious situation, navigating unchartered waters as it attempts to make sense of this mercurial season. At the center of it all is Gasol, the 33-year-old big man with fluctuating stat lines who might as well sleep with a packed bag by his bedside.
Gasol has no guarantees he will finish the season in Los Angeles. He has no idea where he’ll be playing next season, after he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. And Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni doesn’t have a clue as to what comes next for him, either.
“I don’t know anything,” D’Antoni said, via the Los Angeles Daily News‘ Mark Medina. “I know nothing.”
Though Magic Mike’s “know nothing” state can be traced back to the Andrew Bynum rumors, it can also be applied to life thereafter. Just because the Bynum deal is over and done with doesn’t mean Los Angeles won’t deal Gasol. All hope of sneaking under the luxury-tax line is likely gone, since the Lakers are more than $8 million over the $71.7 million threshold, but will that stop them from flipping Gasol for an immediate asset if given the opportunity?
Plans have changed in Tinseltown. Signing Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James this summer once seemed like a formality. Now it has makings of a fleeting dream. And in response to shifting trends, the Lakers are free to take back salary in hopes of making something out of themselves next year.
Bringing in more long-term contracts seems unlikely, but deals that run through next season or the one after aren’t out of the question. Whatever could help the Lakers salvage what’s left of Kobe Bryant’s career at this point, they will consider. Same goes for potential financial gain. Anything that could save them money while landing them future assets without compromising their plan for the next couple years must be considered as well.
“I’m sure it bothers them because they have family situations,” D’Antoni said, via Medina. “I’m sure that plays on your mind. That’s not an easy thing.”
Post-Bynum trade, it’s not going to get any easier for Gasol, who will exist in constant flux until Feb. 20 comes to pass.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
